Sell your home faster with these cost-effective staging tips

(BPT) - Appearances count, especially when you&rsquo;re trying to sell a home. Even though the housing industry experts predict this spring will be a seller&rsquo;s market, it&rsquo;s important to grab every advantage when you&rsquo;re trying to sell your home. Staging &ndash; decorating a house to appeal to the broadest possible range of buyers &ndash; can make the difference between a quick sale or a long, painful linger on the market.

Fortunately, many of the most effective staging trips are also inexpensive, from a thorough cleaning to decorator details. Here are five staging tricks that don&rsquo;t cost a bundle:

1. Cleanliness counts &ndash; Nothing turns off buyers faster than a dirty house. Before you list your house, give it a thorough top-to-bottom cleaning &ndash; something that costs nothing but the price of supplies if you do it yourself and a couple hundred bucks, tops, if you hire pros to do it for you. Don&rsquo;t overlook little details like baseboards, ceiling fans, blinds and shower doors. Include decluttering in your cleanup efforts, and remove excess items from your home, even if you have to rent a storage unit to do it.

2. Work those walls &ndash; Painting is one of the cheapest, easiest ways to help your home look fresh and great. Choose neutral colors that will appeal to the broadest range of buyers. Don&rsquo;t forget that neutral doesn&rsquo;t have to mean bland, either. Consider dressing up an accent wall, easily and cost-effectively with repositionable wallpaper or a removable wallpaper mural. Websites like MuralsYourWay.com offer a wide variety of repositionable wall coverings, called SmartStick, in a variety of designs. A patented adhesive makes it easy to install the mural &ndash; creating an eye-catching focal point for any room &ndash; and remove it later if buyers decide they don&rsquo;t want it. It&rsquo;s a great way to get a designer look at a fraction of the cost &ndash; and without the commitment of traditional wallpaper.

3. Fix up the fireplace &ndash; Sure, you&rsquo;re heading into summer selling season, but fireplaces charm buyers no matter what the weather. Make yours look its best. Old brick fireplaces can get designer flare from a coat of paint. If your fireplace is wood-burning, remove and clean the screen. If it looks tired and rusty, give it a fresh look with a coat of heat-resistant spray paint. For gas fireplaces, keep the glass clean and make sure everything is in working order. For a nominal cost, you can install a remote starter &ndash; a winning feature for buyers who can envision themselves starting a fire without ever having to leave the comfort of their couch.

4. Spruce up outdoor living spaces &ndash; If you have a deck or patio, do whatever it takes to spruce it up, from power-washing pavers and deck boards to staining tired-looking wooden decks. If you don&rsquo;t have a patio or deck, and don&rsquo;t want to spend a lot of money adding one, you can still create an appealing outdoor seating area. Mark off an area using stones or plastic edgers near the house or in a shady spot in the yard. Fill in with pea gravel or wood chips, then add an attractive bistro set &ndash; with umbrella &ndash; to create a pleasant seating spot.

5. Brighten the bath &ndash; Bathrooms and kitchens sell houses, yet many sellers are reluctant to sink any additional money into staging a bathroom. You don&rsquo;t have to spend a bundle to make your bathroom more appealing. After a deep cleaning, invest in some designer towels that only come out for showings. Put up a fresh shower curtain and get rid of those nasty area rugs that will make buyers think &ldquo;germs.&rdquo; Add a small vase of fresh flowers on the vanity. Bring in more natural light by removing blinds and ensuring privacy with removable film that makes windows look frosted. Have a bathroom that doesn&rsquo;t have windows? You can really brighten it &ndash; and make a designer statement &ndash; by placing a removable wallpaper mural on the ceiling. Pick a sky scene with fluffy clouds on a blue background and you can even brighten a windowless powder room.

Staging a home can help make it more appealing to potential buyers, and ensure you sell it faster.